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Welcome to the monthly newsletter that brings you creative solutions for connecting communities, young people, and nature.
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Connecting Parks and Communities: Why it Matters?

Like many communities, Hyde Park, New York has been affected over the years by suburban sprawl and increased traffic, says Andy Bicking of the nonprofit group Scenic Hudson. But the National Park Service--fueled by its desire to be a good neighbor and to protect the historic Homes of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt--has launched several new initiatives to link the community and park sites and encourage access through alternative transportation. Says Bicking, "The National Park Service is working with Scenic Hudson, Hyde Park and Hudson River Valley NHA to develop a plan that contributes to the local economy and preserves the historic nature of the landscape. This effort really benefits the quality of life in the community."

White Bridge, Vanderbilt Mansion
White Bridge, Vanderbilt Mansion (Kevin Oldenburg, NPS)

Learning from the Field
Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites, Hyde Park, New York

 
The access roads to the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites (which also include the historic 19th century mansion of Frederick Vanderbilt) were "incredibly congested," says NPS Superintendent Sarah Olson. But the infrastructure didn't exist to allow visitors without cars to access the parks easily-so the National Park Service launched a collaboration with local officials and nonprofits to make it possible.
 
Roosevelt Farm Lane: New Options for Walking and Bicycling

In November, a 1.8 mile bicycle and pedestrian trail opened (Hyde Park Townsmen article), connecting Franklin Roosevelt's homestead with Eleanor Roosevelt's cottage at Val-Kill. The project, known as Roosevelt Farm Lane, also features connections to two mountain bike trail loops. Eventually, the park hopes to offer a tram connection between the sites and open the Hudson Valley Welcome Center, envisioned as a tourism center offering information on lodging, restaurants, and things to see and do in the Hudson Valley. "We're very hopeful this will be a community asset for recreation, as well as for tourism and the regional economy," says Bicking.

The Roosevelt Ride: Leave the Driving to Us

Roosevelt Ride

The Poughkeepsie train station is only five miles away from the sites--but no public transportation was available linking them, despite the fact that a large percentage of visitors come from the area served by "Metro North" trains in the New York suburbs. Meet the Roosevelt Ride, a multi-year pilot shuttle system that connects the parks and the station. The goal is to determine the best way to structure long-term alternative transportation at the parks. Says Olson, "We'd like people to have the option of leaving their car at home--and providing access for people who don't own cars." Though the Ride only offers a limited service schedule, the park hopes to expand it in the future.

Conservation Success: Healthy Trails and Cool Podcasts

Hyde Park
Close to Home Recreation: Hyde Park's Healthy Trails are a 10-mile system of trails and walkways linking local parks, nature preserves and National Park sites with local neighborhoods and Hyde Park's business corridor.

Connecting with Healthy Trails and A Sense of Place through Podcasts

The park, working with the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program (RTCA) is also committed to getting visitors-as well as community residents-out walking and biking on the network of local trails. To that end, the Park Service is creating a series of interpretive audio podcasts for six Hyde Park Trails-some owned and operated by the NPS, and others by the community or other agencies. Says NPS RTCA staffer Karl Beard, "There will never be enough rangers to stand with every single person in the woods-but podcasts can help everyone get at some of that experience." The series will also include historic audio clips of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as interviews with others involved in the sites' history. Additionally, the NPS continues to collaborate on Hyde Park's longstanding "Healthy Trails" program, providing special commemorative patches to people who hike on certain community trails to encourage active outdoor recreation.

Catalysts: Getting Involved

For more information, you can read Trails for All Americans, a landmark national trails agenda crafted in 1990 through a public-private partnership, or purchase Trails for the Twenty-First Century (2nd edition), a step-by-step guide to planning, designing, and managing multi-use trails. You may also be interested in information developed by the National Park Service about cultivating partnerships with other organizations.

Links
 
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and more about Hyde Park Trails

Let's Work Together


Could your project benefit from 1-2 years' staff time from a National Park Service specialist?


If you're working on restoring a river, building a community trail, or making an urban park flourish, we'd love to talk with you about ways we could work together. Please call or email your regional representative today.


 (Terrace, FDR Home, Kevin Oldenburg, NPS)

NPS Conservation and Recreation Links

Challenge Cost Share Program | Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers | Federal Lands to Parks

Hydropower Relicensing Program | National Trails System |  Urban Park and Recreation Recovery

Land and Water Conservation Fund | Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program

The Update informs Department of the Interior staff, organizational partners, and friends about the program successes and activities of the National Park Service Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Programs. For more details, please contact the staff person involved with each project.

This e-newsletter may be copied or redirected. Our staff would be pleased to assist your editor in adapting each story for your publication; for more information, please call (202) 354-6918 or e-mail [email protected].
Images courtesy National Park Service.